When Hell Freezes Over
by ForeverSpeechless13
Summary: She'd lost everything except Willow. And now, her goal was to let Willow survive. So, when they run into trouble and end up joining a group of strangers, Eva hopes it's the right choice. And when something goes terribly wrong, she realizes that some things just happen. Kind of like the relationship that was now forming, and for the old one that was mending. Rated M, just in case.
1. The Gateway to Hell

**Guys, I am really sorry that I haven't been posting new chapters, and I know that this is just an edited version of the first chapter. First, things came up at home and with my family, and then things didn't feel right about the story. I hope you enjoy, and I will be posting more very very soon. Thanks for everything guys.**

* * *

The news reports had been coming in all day- the first one coming from Florida. If you believed in shit coming back to life, which most of my customers tonight seemed to, then this was definitely the end. I just looked at it as a good day with people tipping pretty well. Though, as more cases got called in, I got a bit uneasy. I began to start thinking about my sister and brother-in-law at the hospital... and then Willow at home.

"Lyla!" I called over to the bar, tearing myself away from my thoughts, "How many is that?" I looked at the TV as I picked up a tray.

"A lot," she sighed, shoving her purple hair out of her face before pouring a shot.

"If this isn't the end of the world," I muttered to myself as I strolled over to my next table, "I sure as hell made a lot of money." Quickly, I put on my best smile and looked at the customer. "Hey there," I started off with him friendly, "I'm Eva. What can I get ya?"

"Whiskey and a song," the man in blue scrubs said, rubbing his wrinkled forehead, "Hey Eva."

My eyes widened and my heart stopped. "Jesus Nathan. I didn't even recognize you. You look like shit."

"I feel like shit. You should play me one last song real quick," he replied and I noticed some sweat on his pale forehead. Calmly, I shook my head. There was no time. "Fine," he sighed, "Sit down Eves. We need to talk. Your sister is gone. I couldn't find her before I left the hospital."

That got people from other tables, the people that knew me, to stop talking. Soon, the bar was absolutely silent. I swallowed and frowned. My eyes darted to Lyla before I sat down. "Go ahead Nate," I replied, figuring I was as ready as I would ever be.

"You all need to go home, pack up some stuff, and head to Atlanta," his voice grew more and more tired as he spoke, "It's supposed to be a safe zone." My heart stopped. This shit was really happening.

"Nate..." I hesitated, becoming slightly scared, "What's going on?"

"This disease is what's going on," he went on, staring down at the table, "It transfers through a bite or a scratch." My heart pounded as I looked at my brother-in-law. My best friend. The person who had always been there for me. I realized just how broken he looked; how dead. "You need to understand that the people that are bitten are already dead," Nathan had tears in his eyes as he looked up at me, running a hand through his messy blonde hair.

Roza, one of our regulars, spoke up from across the bar, "Nate, how do we take carea the problem?"

"Jesus Roza!" Gary scoffed, "Of course that's what yer worried 'bout!"

"No, no. That's a good way to be thinkin' Gary," Nathan swallowed, "Damage the brain." Sirens blared down the street. His eyes widened. "Now go! Before it's too late!"

They didn't even hesitate. Within a minute they were gone. The bar- my second safe haven- was empty for the first time at ten o'clock at night. The music still played in the background, and the light above the liquor cabinet was still flashing, but other than that, the bar was still and quiet.

I looked at Nathan, tears falling from my eyes, "Nate? Aren't you coming with me?"

He shook his head. "Take care of Willow, alright?"

"Nate?" I cried as Lyla walked over to me, "Nate? Please!"

"I got bit!" he yelled, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me, "I can't go so get that in your head right now! But you can go! You have to take care of Willow! I know you can be a good mother to her!" he paused and continued in a softer voice, "You can live. You have to live for me."

"No," I sobbed, but not about the taking care of Willow or living; he knew I would do that- or at least try. Lyla began to drag me to the door, "Nate!"

"Eva!" Lyla screeched as she finished pulling me out of the bar, "Get your head'n the fuckin' game girly!"

The streets were complete chaos. Cars were burning in the middle of the intersection, people were screaming and running... and then there were people chasing them. Someone was tackled and I watched with pure horror as they got bit in the neck and the person started to feed off of them. How the hell had we missed all this? How the hell had we not known? Someone walked up to Lyla as we stood there in amazement- wondering how we could have missed this going on right outside- and grabbed her arm. Lyla let out a high pitched scream as the person bit her.

"Go!" she screeched at me, growing red in the face as the person began to feast on her,"Get Willow and get to Atlanta!" Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and Lyla fell back.

Lets just say that was all the persuasion I needed.

* * *

On the outskirts of our small city, where we lived, it was a lot calmer. It was very apparent that Willow had absolutely no idea what was going on when I got to our house. She tackled me as I stepped through the door- something I had already braced myself for.

I placed a quick kiss on the top of her head as I knelt down in front of her. My hands rested on her shoulders as I looked into her eyes. "Willow, you need to listen to me very carefully," she nodded and I continued, "We're going on a trip. Just you and me." I prayed to god that I wouldn't break down and cry.

"Where are we going?" her blue eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"Atlanta," I said confidently, though in the pit of my stomach something didn't feel right, "It's an adventure. Baby, go pack up some of your toys, okay?"

"Okay Aunty," she beamed up at me, perking up at the word adventure.

Tears came to my eyes as I looked around. I wanted to take it all. All of it meant something to me. But I couldn't. Priorities, right? That was when I remembered the emergency plan.

I ran to the bedroom that Willow and I shared, pulling our emergency suitcases down from the closet. Willow stared at me, wide-eyed. I smiled weakly and said, "Emergency plan, baby."

I walked to her bed and picked up her favorite blanket and lucky bunny. My heart raced as I ran out to my sister's car that she had left that morning- just in case. Tossing the suitcases in the trunk and setting Willow's stuff in the passenger side seat, I realized that I'd need my hunting knife and food. Willow ran out to me, her little backpack slung over her shoulder. Tears fell freely from her face. Great. I'd managed to scare the hell out of her. It could be a good thing, but it could also be bad...

"Baby," I smoothed down her brown hair, trying to comfort her, "Get in the car and lock all of the doors. Do not open them for anyone but me."

"Okay," Willow sobbed.

"It's okay," I lied, not believing it myself, "Nothing is gonna happen to you." And as quick as I could be, I was back inside. I grabbed my backpack from the coat closet and walked to our pantry. "Food," I muttered, dumping cans of Chef Boyardee and soup into the bag. My next thought was my knife, so I walked back into our room and opened the top drawer of my dresser. I took the knife out and carefully strapped the sheath onto my thigh.

Sighing, I tossed the backpack over my shoulder, feeling its weight, grabbed a family picture from Willow's nightstand, grabbed the keys off the kitchen counter, and walked outside. There was a... person scratching hungrily at the car window. Willow was screaming. I panicked and grabbed my knife, tossing it at its head. Satisfyingly, my knife hit its target. The... person fell to the ground, motionless. I ran over tapping on the window, telling Willow to unlock the doors. I yanked my knife out of the head and jogged to the other side of the car, climbing in.

"I listened Aunty," she cried loudly.

"Alright baby. You did good," I whispered to a terrified six year old, "I don't want you to look back." She was silent as she nodded, staring out of her window. She was in shock. I locked the doors, shaking my head.

Finally, she spoke up. "Aunty, that was daddy."

"No it wa-" Holy shit. It had been. I had just killed Nathan. A tear fell from my eye as I put the car in gear and began driving away, "Try and sleep baby."

Lucky for me, I was pretty good at not looking back. Right now, all I cared about was Willow.

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**Thanks for the patience. I know the changes may seem small, but they all lead up to later events. Reviews= helpful!**


	2. Napalm Panic

**Here it is! The newest chapter! I hope you enjoy, and thanks for stickin' around while I took forever to write it. :)**

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We were just about to turn onto the highway when the car sputtered and stopped working. "Shit!" I hissed and looked over at Willow, who was finally sound asleep. "Time to find out what's wrong with it."

I looked at the dashboard and saw a flashing light. Check engine. "Fuck," I smacked the seat, unbuckling. My feet hit the pavement as I popped the hood. A truck passed by. I pulled up my sleeves and examined the engine. It was steaming. I sighed and reached into check and see how hot it was when there was a sharp click next to my head. "Jesus christ," I tossed my hands up in the air, cursing god, "Today just isn't my day!" I turned to face my attacker.

Make that attackers. The one holding the gun to my head seemed to be the older- less attractive- of the two. He also seemed to be the one calling the shots. I studied him the most- his harsh jaw, broad shoulders, slightly small build for a man, but extremely muscular. His gray eyes studied me in return, a slight grin playing on his lips. We'd had plenty of guys like him stop at the bar. They were the type that grabbed your ass as you walked away, but they almost always tipped the best. Always a plus.

"What do you want?" I snapped at them angrily, laughing when he tried to scare me by shoving the gun closer to my face. I just wasn't in the mood. "I've had a gun in my face before dumbass." That's what happens when you work at a bar. From time to time, someone brought a gun into a bar fight.

"Shut the fuck up sugartits," the guy with the gun chuckled, licking his lips. "Where're ya headed to?" he asked me, glancing into the car behind me. I stepped over, blocking Willow from his view.

"Atlanta," I said softly, hoping he wouldn't notice that I moved.

"Ya got two choices," the man spat at my feet, "Ya can hitch a ride with us, or give us halfa yer supplies."

"Fuck off!" I scoffed at him. There was no way.

"Merle-" the other man tried to speak, and pointed to the car. I swallowed, realizing that he'd seen Willow.

"Shuddup Darylina," the man teased him harshly, pressing the gun even closer to my head, "Well sugartits?"

I glared at him and was about to answer when a door opened. "No," I whispered, my eyes going wide as I turned to look at Willow. "Willow! Get back in the car!"

Willow froze when she saw the man- Merle- holding the gun. "Aunty?" she asked, tears already falling down her cheeks, "Aunty what's going on?" That was it. If something happened to me, I could never be sure of what would happen to her. Not to mention what it would do to her. Willow turned to Merle and sobbed, "Please don't hurt her. My daddy's dead."

"Willow," I stated, unable to think of what to say.

Merle dropped his gun, staring at Willow. At first, I thought he was going to shoot her, but he just stood there with a blank expression on his face. Until finally, he spoke. "Well sugartits. Guess we got our answer. Yer comin' with us." his southern drawl almost seemed to comfort Willow. I bet it reminded her of Nathan when he was at home and not in full-on doctor mode. Even I could admit it comforted me.

I couldn't argue as Willow ran to me, holding her blanket and bunny. Slowly, I nodded. Without a word, Merle and the other guy walked over to our car and started tossing our stuff into the back of their truck, next to a large Harley.

"I'm Eva," I spoke up as Willow climbed into the truck, a wide grin on her face, "That's my niece, Willow."

"Nice to meet ya," Merle said kindly, "I'm Merle Dixon, an' this pussy over here is ma li'l brother Darylina."

"It's Daryl," the other guy muttered angrily. He had already made it very clear he didn't want us here, but he wouldn't have left us there even if it was just him. I could tell that he was that kind of guy.

"Nice to meet ya," Willow smiled brightly, her earlier tears evaporating, "I like you two. Can I sit up there?"

"Willow-" I started, but was interrupted.

"Sure sweet stuff," Merle shot a smile back at her. Willow climbed over the middle seat and sat next to them. My jaw dropped as Merle turned to look back at me. "Out like a light," he winked at me and I rolled my eyes, realizing that Willow was asleep.

"She's been through a lot today," I replied coldly, hiding all emotions from him. The truth was that I was thankful because they took us in. They gave us a fighting chance. But, my instincts told me that I shouldn't tell them that. After all, Merle had held a gun to my head. "Hell, I think we all have," I muttered to myself.

"Shit," Daryl said angrily as we turned onto the highway.

I stuck my head out of the window, looking ahead of us. Miles and miles of cars stretched out ahead of us. People were just beginning to give up on moving forward, stepping out of their cars and conversing with one another. "Either of you guys got a smoke?" I asked the brothers softly, climbing out of the truck, "I left mine at work."

I realized what I had said immediately and laughed to myself. Work? There was no more work. No more grabby customers. No more tips. No more Lyla and her purple hair and fun attitude. No more Nathan and his habit of getting me out of sticky situations. Probably no more Audrey, too. Jesus. That made me want a smoke even more.

Merle and Daryl followed after me, leaving Willow in the front seat. I held out my hand and Merle dropped a cigarette into it. I smiled politely at him, "Thank you!" Sadly, as I was checking my pockets, I realized I didn't have a lighter. "Well, fuck me!" I growled, "How 'bout a light?"

Daryl rolled his eyes and held out his lighter for me. I leaned over, lighting the smoke. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes in pure ecstasy.

"Nice shoes," Merle joked, ruining my moment, "Those ain't gonna last long sugartits."

I held my cigarette out and looked at my feet, cursing under my breath. I was wearing my mid-calf leather boots that had a five-inch heel on them. Those just wouldn't do. Not in a world like this. "Thanks for pointing that out," I shrugged and stuck the cigarette between my lips before lifting my leg up and grabbing the heel of one boot. With one swift movement, the heel was off and it was a normal boot.

"Aunty?" Willow climbed out of the truck, walking over to me groggily, "I'm scared."

"Willow," I replied softly, bending down to pick her up, "I'm sorry baby." I couldn't bring myself to tell her it was all going to be okay again.

Her arms wrapped tightly around my neck. "Where's mommy?" she whispered in my ear.

My heart stopped. Shit. Fuck. Damn. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours and I was already dreading this moment- the moment when she asked me about Audrey. I smiled weakly, "Willow, I'm sure we'll see mommy soon." Yeah, it was probably the biggest lie I had ever told her. But it gave her hope, and hope was the one thing we could hang on to now.

* * *

"Mom, I'm hungry," I heard a little boy with dark hair whine to his mom.

She smoothed his hair down, looking at him sadly. I thought for a moment about where I had seen the women before and grinned when I remembered. "Lori!" I yelled at her, catching her attention.

"Eva Grace?" her dark eyes widened with disbelief, "Is that you?"

"Yes ma'am. Shane around anywhere?" my grin faded slowly as I thought about that. About him.

"Yes'm," she replied quickly, casting her eyes down.

As if on cue, Shane stepped out of his jeep, a wide smile slapped on his face. His hair was longer than a crew-cut, but not quite as long as Daryl's shaggy brown hair. He was just as muscular, if not more muscular, since the last time I'd seen him. Yet there was something about his eyes that was so... different. His white smile didn't last long after he saw me.

"Fuck," he looked down and to the side, running a hand through his hair, "Eva Grace. Prudest bitch I ever did try an' screw."

"I wasn't that much of a bitch Deputy," I teased him, my eyes growing dark, "You just didn't know how to take a hint. Or listen to me. And I bet I was the only girl you didn't end up screwing in the end." Lori and her son- Carl, I believed- both looked uncomfortable. I grimace, realizing that we shouldn't be doing this here. Shane started to say something but I held up my hand. "Save it jackass," I dropped my cigarette, "Where's the Sheriff?"

Shane's face grew cold and Carl began to cry. Man. Today was really really not my day. "No need ta be such a bitch again," Shane snarled.

"Ah," I bunched up my fist, "Don't go there Shane. I didn't know. And," I felt someone step up behind me and I glanced back to see Merle. "I still throw a mean punch."

Shane snorted. "Whatever," he rolled his eyes, "Where're ya two goin'?" he asked Lori as she and Carl began to walk away with a short-haired woman.

"This is Carol!" Lori tossed over her shoulder, "She said she had some food for Carl!"

"Stay where I can see ya," he said kindly to her. I recognized the softened look in his eyes. He was screwing around with her. Finally, he turned back to me angrily. "It ain't my fault you got no sense."

"Fuck off Shane," I hissed, clenching my jaw. Merle started to step forward, defending me. I held up my hand quickly, stopping him in his tracks. "I don't need your help Merle. I appreciate what you did before, but this one is my battle. I seriously wish this jackass had never stepped foot into my bar."

"Easy for you to say now," Shane snorted, looking up and over at Lori.

"Eva," Merle said, "Willow's up."

"What?" I turned to him and immediately regretted snapping at him.

"Tha's why I came o'er here," he grinned, "Yer baby's up sugartits."

"She's not my-"

"Bullshit she ain't," Shane stepped in, raising his voice again.

"Aunty!" Willow came running up to me, leaping up into my arms, "Can I go hunting with Daryl?"

"Hunting?" my hand fell to my knife instinctively, "Is Daryl okay with that?"

"No' really," a deep voice with a harsh southern drawl said loudly, "I dunno wha's out there."

"Fair enough," I responded politely to Daryl, trying not to look at him. Finally, after a long pause, I answered Willow, "Not this time baby. Maybe some other day."

"Aww!" she cried, "But Aunty!"

"Don't 'but Aunty' me," I scolded her playfully, "Go do something else!"

"Come tackle me kiddo," Shane spoke up playfully, causing Willow to turn in my arms to face him.

The look on her face said it all. "Uncle Shane!" she screamed, jumping out of my arms. With full force, she tackled him. He caught her effortlessly, smiling brightly. "I missed you!"

"Missed ya too kiddo," he kissed her cheek.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. You got her Shane?" I asked and he nodded as if he didn't really hear me, "Fine. I'm going into the woods for a bit. Going to look for a place to camp," I looked at Merle, who nodded.

"Be safe," Merle grabbed my elbow as I walked away. I just raised my eyebrows. Quickly recovering, he winked and added, "Sugartits."

"I will be," I answered him softly, heading into the woods where Daryl had stalked away into a few moments earlier, "As soon as I find out where this jackass went." I looked at the ground, studying the leaves scattered about. It was about mid-October in Georgia- the days were still hot and the nights were becoming chilly. Lucky for me, it wasn't a problem. Because I had been at work, I was in skin tight jeans, a black t-shirt, and a black blazer. Not exactly your day to day Georgia wear.

I kept walking carefully forward, following the slightly pressed down leaves. For such a big guy, Daryl sure did have light footsteps. I stepped on a twig, causing myself to jump. Slowly, I shook my head and took another step forward.

The ground shook as a loud boom sounded north-east from where I was. I stopped dead, hearing the screams from thousands of people. My head turned to see where the explosion had occurred just as a second one hit. Orange flame covered the sky over a portion of Atlanta.

I stood there, looking at Atlanta, completely dumbfounded. They were napalming the place we were supposed to go to be safe. Something had gone terribly wrong. Whatever this disease was, it was wiping out the human race.

"Walkers!" someone on the highway screeched.

It was like an amusement park- people screaming in absolute terror, filled with adrenaline. People were running into the woods, down the highway, everywhere really. The only place they weren't running was toward Atlanta. And that's probably where these... walkers were coming from.

Someone grabbed my elbow. Quickly, remembering what happened to Lyla, I spun around with my knife ready. I let out a quick breath when I saw the dark shape, a crossbow slung over his shoulder. "Jesus Daryl," I hissed, my heart hammering, "You scared the shit out of me!"

"I know where they're goin'," he said harshly, yanking me toward him, "C'mon and stay close."

"Where?" I asked, stumbling along with him in the dark lit by the moon.

"The quarry," Daryl responded without any emotion, "Nobody been down there for years."

"Is it safe?" I asked, Willow immediately coming to mind.

"As safe as we c'n get," his southern drawl reminded me of Nathan, even more than Merle's did, "Ya ain't from around here are ya?" he finally asked me, releasing my elbow.

"In a way yes and in a way no," I followed him as he walked through some some trees into a clearing.

"Onea these days, yer gunna tell me what that means," Daryl's eyes met mine as we walked over to the rest of the group.

"Okay," I whispered and looked around for Willow and- even if I'd like to deny it- Shane. Daryl walked over to Merle, pulling out another cigarette.

"Willow," Shane's voice came from inside his jeep, "She'll be back soon."

"Uncle Shane," Willow sobbed.

"Here I am!" I laughed the best I could, climbing into Shane's jeep beside her and holding her tight.

"Yay!" Willow laughed, hugging me closer, "I was afr-"

Another loud explosion cut her off. She gripped me tighter as I turned to watch even more orange flames over Atlanta. How could this still be going on? I had thought many times that I had lived through my worst nightmare, but I guess I was still wrong to say that. The end of the world was on our front doorstep, which was currently dirt.

I tear fell from my eyes as I looked at Shane, "This is it then?"

He closed his eyes and nodded, swallowing. "'Fraid so Eva. Never thought they'd napalm Atlanta."

That was all the confirmation I needed to know that this wasn't a joke or a terrorist attack. I hadn't imagined people eating others in the middle of the street, or even believed the reports when they began to come. I still didn't want to believe that I had killed my best friend, that my sister could possibly be lost or dead, that Lyla had been bit, or that I was stuck in a group with Shane.

I guess that the really big thing was I didn't want to believe that I was alone. That it was just Willow and me, and that I couldn't give her the life I'd always wanted to give her. Thinking about how fast things changed made me nauseous. And to think that Atlanta had to be napalmed before I believed it all made me ashamed of myself.

How much more panic would I have to face? Would Willow have to face?

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**Please review! I want to know how I'm doing and what your thoughts and ideas are! :D**


	3. Little Girls

**Ninety percent of you won't even read this, so all I have to say is thanks for reading and hope you enjoy! :)**

* * *

After the terrifying events of the previous few hours, it was nice to catch a slight break at the quarry. Once everyone calmed down, I went and found Daryl and Merle, feeling safest with them for some reason. I looked around camp, holding Willow's hand, and took note of the new people.

There were three people that came in an RV, Lori, Carl, Shane, Carol, her husband and her daughter, and a mexican man and his family. All of us were shaken to the core- even the Dixon brothers, but I doubted they would ever be as open about it like the rest of us. I could easily guess that the kids were the most shaken. As Shane stepped forward to speak, I turned to Daryl and Merle. My heart stopped when I saw them.

Both of them were watching me, pale and frozen. "You guys alright?" I asked them softly as Willow squeezed my hand.

"Fine," Daryl said gruffly, looking down as Shane began to speak.

"We should all try ta get some sleep," Shane's voice boomed throughout the quarry, "We need rest."

"None of us are going to be able to sleep Shane," I dropped Willow's hand and stepped toward him, "We may as well set up camp."

"I think if we tried, we could get some," he snapped back at me, arguing.

"Yeah, maybe the kids," I grew irritated, "But us? Come on. If you really think that the mothers of these kids are going to be able to sleep, you're even dumber than I thought."

"Whatever," he growled at me, stepping another step toward me, "We are going to try and sleep."

"Who put you in charge?" Daryl asked, stepping between us angrily.

"No one," Shane sighed, "Jus' tryin' to keep some order here."

"You're doing a fine job Deputy," I spat at him, looking back at Willow, who was clinging to Merle, "I say we let people decide what they want to do," I paused, "If they want to sleep, fine. If not, they can help set up camp or keep watch."

"Fine," he tossed his hands in the air, "Y'all do what ya want."

"Willow, baby," I called over to her, "Come here." She ran over to where I was as Shane walked away. "Alright baby. I want you to go to sleep in Daryl's truck, okay?" she shook her head quickly, absolutely silent. I stared at her for a second before I put my finger on what was wrong with her. "Willow, you'll be okay. I won't be far."

"Aunty, I don't want you to go again," she stuck her thumb in her mouth, "I not sleepy anyway."

She yawned, her blonde hair falling back. I watched as her freckled nose scrunched up and her pale blue eyes shut. Her pink mouth opened wide and I couldn't help but smile. She was about forty-five inches tall- which was fairly tall for a six year old. Her blue overalls stretched with her body.

"I'll make you a deal," I crouched down and tugged on her overall straps.

"What deal?" her eyes widened excitedly.

"I promise to stay and sing to you until you're asleep," I whispered to her secretly, making sure no one overheard me.

"Okay!" she said excitedly.

I grabbed her hand again and walked with her to the Dixon's truck. We stood there for a moment, waiting for them to notice us as they unloaded the truck. When Merle noticed us, I waved slightly.

"Do you guys mind if Willow and I sleep in the truck?" I asked and decided to elaborate, "We don't have any tents."

"No," Daryl said shortly and walked to the side of the truck, pulling a door open, "Sleep well."

I picked up Willow in my arms and carried her to the side of the truck. When I set her down, she looked into my eyes curiously. I raised my eyebrows and laughed when she shook her head and climbed into the back. I climbed in next to her, closing the door behind me.

"What song baby?" I asked her, kissing her forehead as I covered her with her blanket.

She closed her eyes, hugging her bunny close to her. "Mommy's song."

I sighed and smoothed her hair back again. "You sure?" she nodded. Closing my eyes, I began. "Hey Jude, don't make it bad..."

* * *

_It was a bright sunny afternoon in Georgia. You could smell the fresh peaches in the air, and taste the sweet nectar of their juices. It was truly beautiful. Which is why I wasn't surprised when my mother showed up to school that afternoon._

_"Evalyn," she explained to me softly, her breath smelling thick with cigarette smoke, "I'll be back in awhile."_

_I stood there in my torn jeans, looking at her blankly. I reached up and moved my brown hair out of my face, trying not to hide my eyes from hers. Quickly, I cast my eyes down so I didn't look directly at her. Later that day, I realized I had been trembling as she stood in front of me._

_"You be good for your daddy while I'm gone, you hear?" she raised her eyebrows. When I didn't respond, she glanced around the front office to make sure no one was watching. The fact that no one was happened to be a satisfying end for her, and a horrifying one for me. She reached back as far as she could and slammed forward with an open hand against my cheek. There was a loud smack that echoed throughout the room. "Stupid mute girl," she sneered, "Should have known I'd give birth to an idiot."_

_I didn't respond. I also didn't cry. I'd learned a long time ago that those two things were a death wish- especially with daddy. The big difference was that you could win with momma. With daddy, there was no winning. If you didn't respond, you were a retard and if you did, you were a smartass._

_"Be good Evalyn," she said and I flinched away from her lips when she tried to kiss my forehead. "Bitch," my mother hissed._

_She shocked me by not hitting me again. I watched as she walked out of the front doors, climbing into a car with a young man beside her. I shed a small tear when I watched her pull out a plastic baggy. Meth head, meth head. I could almost hear the kids teasing me in the class._

_"I am not a meth head," I muttered to myself, barely audible, "My mother is, but I'm not."_

_That was when I decided to go home. It was two o'clock, and by now my dad would most likely be stone-cold drunk on the couch in our living room. I couldn't stay at school with a fresh bruise on my cheek right after my mother left. Honestly, I would rather face my dad than the students in class._

_And so, instead of calling Nathan, I decided to walk to our huge house. If I was lucky, he'd be passed out instead of awake. Sadly, I was never all that lucky._

* * *

I sang the song four or five times to make sure that Willow was completely asleep. As soon as I was sure, I kissed her cheek and climbed into the front. I took a deep, shaky breath and wiped the tears on my cheek away.

The sky outside of the truck was now a dark blue instead of a black, and the white stars seemed brighter than ever. I rounded the corner of the back of the truck and nearly ran into Daryl. He ran a hand through his hair, blushing slightly as he looked down.

"Daryl," I breathed out, "You scared the shit out of me."

"Jus' comin' to say we took some of yer soup," he informed me politely and turned around quickly.

He stepped over to a log by a small fire and plopped down. Daryl began to work with his knife- picking at his fingernails. I didn't wait for an invitation because I knew I wouldn't get one. So, I walked over to the log and sat down beside him with a comfortable space between us. My head turned sideways as I looked at him, and I couldn't help but smile.

His hair was even messier than before, there were already dirt smudges all over his face, and his blue eyes sparkled in the light of the fire. Not only that, his sleeveless flannel was tight across the shoulders and chest and loose around the middle- leaving a lot up to the imagination. I felt weird studying him, but it was all I could think to do. Torn up jeans, heavy duty shoes... everything about him was harsh.

"Ain't polite to stare," he grumbled.

I blushed and cleared my throat. "Sorry Daryl," I whispered.

"'s alright," he spat into the fire.

"I know you want to ask me something," I looked at him again, trying to make eye contact.

Daryl looked away from me. "Nah," he denied it.

"Whatever," I rolled my eyes and stood up, "Where's Merle?"

"Takin' a leak," he responded quickly, looking up when someone approached.

"Fine," my voice grew smaller as I looked up to see Shane. I rubbed my face with my hands and dropped them. Daryl placed something in one of them softly, along with something cool in the other. I opened my hands and looked at them before smiling and nodding thanks to him. Lifting the cigarette to my lips, I asked, "What's up Deputy?"

"We need ta talk Eva," he ordered.

"I haven't taken orders since the day my daddy kicked me out Deputy," I lit the cigarette, taking a long, smooth drag, "Try again."

Shane sighed and snatched the lighter from my hands, "Smokin' is a pretty bad habit Eva."

"Like I give a damn," I pointed out.

"Didn't yer momma used ta smoke?" he asked me, taunting.

Ashamed, I dropped the cigarette and stepped on it. "Thanks for the thought Daryl," I muttered and looked back up at Shane, "Now what the fuck do you want?"

"Let's talk," he motioned toward his jeep.

"Hell no," I looked at him like he was crazy, "Anything you've got to say, you can say to me right here."

"Where's Audrey? Nate? Lyla?" he'd hit my soft spot and he knew it.

Tears came to my eyes as I stumbled backward. I wiped my cheek roughly and glared at him. "Once a dick, always a dick."

"Once a bitch, always a bitch," he retorted back smartly.

"Jesus christ," I looked up to the sky, which was growing lighter by the minute, "What the fuck Shane? Say what you've got to say and get it over with."

Shane stared at me for a moment before saying, "Willow sure has grown up since I last saw her."

"It's only been a year Shane," my eyes closed as I bit back the tears.

"I know," he sighed again, reaching toward me. I stepped back out of his reach. "You were eighteen then. Nineteen now. She was five then. Six now."

"No duh Deputy," I snapped.

I opened my eyes to see Shane turn his back on me. "Fuck you Eva," he growled, "I cared. I still do."

"Stop screwing Lori and maybe I'd believe it," I hissed softly, "How many times did you cheat on me Shane? Huh? Four? FIve? Or was it too many to count?" I shook my head and let out a little laugh, "At least you had the decency to not bring Willow into it. Horny fucking bastard."

"I ain't yer father sweetheart," he stopped and looked at me, a mischievous grin on his face, "I don't play with little girls."

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